There was a time when I would check in a couple of times a day, just to stay abreast of the various topics. Now I find I might check in once a week or so. The Tasting Note section seems to have almost died, with only a couple of comments posted a day.

Let me put it this way: We opened this site because so many of the old WLDGers were unhappy with the Netscape software, and I couldn't help but hear that.

I hope to keep the Netscape forum alive, partly because I feel a moral commitment to do a job that I pledged to do, and partly because I do think it offers an opportunity to commit wine education to a non-geek audience who visit there because it's part of the Netscape and CompuServe communities.

Frankly, I'm making a real effort to visit it several times a day and to cross-post my own TNs and articles there. And I'd be delighted if a lot of you would try to do something similar, just to keep it alive and healthy.

But we do see the free market speaking here, and honestly, I do sometimes wonder what the Netscape/AOL/CompuServe management is thinking of. I won't deny that the interface and forum structure amounts to shooting themselves in the collective feet.

And I'll add that this software is just such a step up over the cluttered Netscape format that it makes visiting here that much more enjoyable. The best thing that they have is the active text formatting in the window as an option, though it's not that big a deal because I tend to memorize codes anyway. That, and the dedicated winemaking forum.

But this community just has more of an in-depth feeling to it without all the unnecessary visual clutter (i.e. myriad ads) that form a distraction over there.

Hi Bruce, There were many design features associated with the Netscape Community that made it a hostile place for me. I stopped going there long before this place started. And since this extremely user-friendly place started I've only made my way over to the Netscape Community once, to visit the Den. Fortunately once in the Den, the other Netscape hassles are locked out - it is just navigating my way there that can be fraught with danger.
Sue

If there's one issue with it (Netscape) that's becoming fatal for me, it's the lack of auto log-on because I had too high a security setting on my PC when I registered. The solution was oo much effort so I just log on when I can be bothered.

This software however matches most of the other fora I use, so it's easier to use. I know I'll end up solely here eventually, but for the mo, I still post occasionally on the Netscape forum.

I check in quite often, but for some time now I have not been able to log on. I did not bother to try and figure it out, but today I can now log in as usual. I have also not bothered to figure out how to get logged in automatically. I know it is just going in and deleting a few cookies, but.... Maybe one of these days. I need to get Outlook Express working correctly on this computer first.

Cheers,
Neil Courtney

'Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it.' --- Anonymous.

Ed, I have to shut down my firewall to sign on in the Netscape WLC forum. I do that in order to sign into the chatroom on WED eve and Sunday afternoon. Otherwie I will not go there. I have been chastised over this and frankly it is not worth the effort and the insecurity of shutting down the firewall.

I have a ritual where I hit "log in', type my password in and hit enter. I am then directed to a blank screen. I then have to go back and re enter netscape where I hit "log in" again and most of the time I'm in. Sometimes I have to repeat the 1st step a few times.

But Ed, it is so much ado about nothing! seriously, I had quit posting there before the advent of this board, and as I said if not for the chatroom I would not even look in. I wish I could do two wine outings this year as I would love to come to Niagra Cool. Is ther any chance you can do Mo'Cool in August?

Neil, it seems tome that so many of us have given this same reply...too hard to log in and we didn't try to figure it out. It seems to me that NS/AOL would want the traffic, but I guess they don't care.

I don't like the thought of a newby asking a question there and not getting a response, so I try to remember to login there at least once a week.

But I detest the software, and the worst thing is having to login every single blinking time (the only forum that is incapable of remembering a returning user) and sometimes it doesn't log you into the wine forum but take you to some sort of home page.